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Dead Flip
In this “terrifyingly fun” (NYT) horror comedy, two friends must solve the mystery of their long-missing former friend’s supernatural reappearance—perfect for fans of Stranger Things. Growing up, Cori, Maz, and Sam were inseparable best friends, sharing their love for pop culture, Halloween, and arcade games. Now it’s 1992, Sam has been missing for five years, and Cori and Maz aren’t speaking anymore. How could they be, when Cori is sure Sam is dead, and Maz has good reason to believe he was kidnapped by a supernatural pinball machine?
These days, all Maz wants to do is party and run away from his past. Meanwhile, Cori hides her abiding love of horror movies and her queer self under the bubblegum veneer of a high school queen bee. But then Sam returns—still twelve years old, while his best friends are now seventeen. What really happened the night he disappeared? And just because he's back, does that mean he's safe? To find answers, Cori, Maz, and Sam will need to reveal secrets they never told one another, then and now. And Sam’s is the darkest of all . . .
Award-winning author Sara Farizan delivers edge-of-your-seat terror, with her insightful characters, witty narration, and trademark referential humor.
* "Well-crafted homage to narratives like It and Stranger Things . . . A great choice for stalwart horror fans and newcomers to the genre." —Booklist, starred review
These days, all Maz wants to do is party and run away from his past. Meanwhile, Cori hides her abiding love of horror movies and her queer self under the bubblegum veneer of a high school queen bee. But then Sam returns—still twelve years old, while his best friends are now seventeen. What really happened the night he disappeared? And just because he's back, does that mean he's safe? To find answers, Cori, Maz, and Sam will need to reveal secrets they never told one another, then and now. And Sam’s is the darkest of all . . .
Award-winning author Sara Farizan delivers edge-of-your-seat terror, with her insightful characters, witty narration, and trademark referential humor.
* "Well-crafted homage to narratives like It and Stranger Things . . . A great choice for stalwart horror fans and newcomers to the genre." —Booklist, starred review
272 pages, Hardcover
First published August 30, 2022
About the author
Sara Farizan
22 books605 followersSara Farizan (1984, Massachusetts).
Her parents immigrated from Iran in the seventies, her father a surgeon and her mother a homemaker. Sara grew up feeling different in her private high school not only because of her ethnicity but also because of her liking girls romantically, her lack of excitement in science and math, and her love of writing plays and short stories. So she came out of the closet in college, realized math and science weren’t so bad (but not for her), and decided she wanted to be a writer. She is an MFA graduate of Lesley University and holds a BA in film and media studies from American University. Sara has been a Hollywood intern, a waitress, a comic book/record store employee, an art magazine blogger, a marketing temp, and an after-school teacher, but above all else she has always been a writer.
Her parents immigrated from Iran in the seventies, her father a surgeon and her mother a homemaker. Sara grew up feeling different in her private high school not only because of her ethnicity but also because of her liking girls romantically, her lack of excitement in science and math, and her love of writing plays and short stories. So she came out of the closet in college, realized math and science weren’t so bad (but not for her), and decided she wanted to be a writer. She is an MFA graduate of Lesley University and holds a BA in film and media studies from American University. Sara has been a Hollywood intern, a waitress, a comic book/record store employee, an art magazine blogger, a marketing temp, and an after-school teacher, but above all else she has always been a writer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 343 reviews
June 16, 2022
**4.5-stars**
When they were kids, Cori, Maz and Sam were best friends; three peas in a pod. The trio were always together, bopping around, getting into childhood mischief.
As they grew older though, things began to change. One fateful Halloween night cracks appeared, the three had a bit of a spat and Sam took off on his own. That was the night Sam disappeared without a trace.
In 1992, five years have passed since Sam disappeared, but the aftershocks of that tragedy are still felt every day by Maz and Cori. They have never forgotten him.
After Sam vanished, Maz and Cori's friendship dissolved. Maz and his family moved to a nearby town, so the two didn't even go to the same school anymore. They went their separate ways; tried to move on.
Now it's their Senior year and Maz is a track star at his school, with a penchant for partying. That's all surface level though, what he's really doing is hiding from his past.
Cori is the queen bee at her high school. A pretty, popular girl, a shoe-in for Homecoming Queen, who secretly pines for another girl, Janet, loves Horror movies more than anything and feels like she needs to hide who she truly is.
Cori is adept at plastering on a smile and pretending all is well, when really she is just passing time until things might be different.
The old friends lives are turned upside down when Sam suddenly reappears. While this would be an exciting and jaw-dropping turn of events, the most shocking thing is, he still appears to be 12-years old, the age he was when he disappeared.
The friends cannot explain it, but they believe it has something to do with a pinball machine they used to play at a local store. A haunted pinball machine?
They need to keep Sam hidden until they get this figured out. Luckily, Cori's parents are out of town, so that at least provides a safe haven. But as the trio begins to spend time together again, it's clear not all is well with Sam. He didn't return quite the same.
As increasingly disturbing events begin to plague Maz and Cori, the race is on to solve this mystery, before anyone else gets hurt.
I absolutely adored every moment I spent with this story. It's told through alternating timelines. The first is 1987, when the trio are kids. You get to know them, the dynamics of their friendship group, as well as the events leading up to and the aftermath of, Sam's disappearance.
A young boy going missing, in such a small town, was a huge deal. It was felt by the whole community and Farizan did a great job of examining that.
The other is in 1992, leading up to and following Sam's return. Through this format you get a lovely coming-of-age feel to this quirky YA Horror tale.
I really enjoyed the format and all of the characters. I found Farizan's writing to be extremely engaging. I was loving every moment. Granted, I am right around the same age as these characters, so getting the alteranting 1987 and 1992 timelines was so nostalgic for me.
I have seen this compared a lot to Stranger Things and I do sort of get that, but it's also very much it's own thing.
I was definitely picking up that vibe, but you know what else I was picking up? You know the movie Big, the whole pinball element of this reminded me of the fortune-teller machine, Zoltar, except in this, Sam returns smaller than his friends, not bigger.
I loved the mystery behind what happened to Sam. It was so interesting. Watching Cori and Maz come together to try to help Sam, while also trying to solve the mystery was a ton of fun.
I always love some amateur sleuthing and I was captivated by the whole process. This was just pure fun, all the way, exactly what I needed for the chaotic end of summer. I was absolutely surprised by this one. It swept me away.
My slight critique would be that I felt like some of the events at the conclusion were too quick, up-in-the-air and not necessarily explained to my liking. Regardless, that's simply personal taste. It was close to perfection for me.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Algonquin Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to pick up more from this author!
When they were kids, Cori, Maz and Sam were best friends; three peas in a pod. The trio were always together, bopping around, getting into childhood mischief.
As they grew older though, things began to change. One fateful Halloween night cracks appeared, the three had a bit of a spat and Sam took off on his own. That was the night Sam disappeared without a trace.
In 1992, five years have passed since Sam disappeared, but the aftershocks of that tragedy are still felt every day by Maz and Cori. They have never forgotten him.
After Sam vanished, Maz and Cori's friendship dissolved. Maz and his family moved to a nearby town, so the two didn't even go to the same school anymore. They went their separate ways; tried to move on.
Now it's their Senior year and Maz is a track star at his school, with a penchant for partying. That's all surface level though, what he's really doing is hiding from his past.
Cori is the queen bee at her high school. A pretty, popular girl, a shoe-in for Homecoming Queen, who secretly pines for another girl, Janet, loves Horror movies more than anything and feels like she needs to hide who she truly is.
Cori is adept at plastering on a smile and pretending all is well, when really she is just passing time until things might be different.
The old friends lives are turned upside down when Sam suddenly reappears. While this would be an exciting and jaw-dropping turn of events, the most shocking thing is, he still appears to be 12-years old, the age he was when he disappeared.
The friends cannot explain it, but they believe it has something to do with a pinball machine they used to play at a local store. A haunted pinball machine?
They need to keep Sam hidden until they get this figured out. Luckily, Cori's parents are out of town, so that at least provides a safe haven. But as the trio begins to spend time together again, it's clear not all is well with Sam. He didn't return quite the same.
As increasingly disturbing events begin to plague Maz and Cori, the race is on to solve this mystery, before anyone else gets hurt.
I absolutely adored every moment I spent with this story. It's told through alternating timelines. The first is 1987, when the trio are kids. You get to know them, the dynamics of their friendship group, as well as the events leading up to and the aftermath of, Sam's disappearance.
A young boy going missing, in such a small town, was a huge deal. It was felt by the whole community and Farizan did a great job of examining that.
The other is in 1992, leading up to and following Sam's return. Through this format you get a lovely coming-of-age feel to this quirky YA Horror tale.
I really enjoyed the format and all of the characters. I found Farizan's writing to be extremely engaging. I was loving every moment. Granted, I am right around the same age as these characters, so getting the alteranting 1987 and 1992 timelines was so nostalgic for me.
I have seen this compared a lot to Stranger Things and I do sort of get that, but it's also very much it's own thing.
I was definitely picking up that vibe, but you know what else I was picking up? You know the movie Big, the whole pinball element of this reminded me of the fortune-teller machine, Zoltar, except in this, Sam returns smaller than his friends, not bigger.
I loved the mystery behind what happened to Sam. It was so interesting. Watching Cori and Maz come together to try to help Sam, while also trying to solve the mystery was a ton of fun.
I always love some amateur sleuthing and I was captivated by the whole process. This was just pure fun, all the way, exactly what I needed for the chaotic end of summer. I was absolutely surprised by this one. It swept me away.
My slight critique would be that I felt like some of the events at the conclusion were too quick, up-in-the-air and not necessarily explained to my liking. Regardless, that's simply personal taste. It was close to perfection for me.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Algonquin Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to pick up more from this author!
November 8, 2022
I didn't have high expectations, but this was fun! I loved the 80s/90s nostalgia. Not too long. Perfect for a quick entertaining read.
September 2, 2022
Dead Flip is a nostalgic young adult horror novel that gives off Stranger Things meets The Goonies vibes.
While the novel is targetted for young adults, the book is chock full of references to pop culture in the 80s and 90s, which an older audience can appreciate.
The book is told in multiple timelines, which made me a tad confused in the beginning of the book. The book primarily follows two points of view. The two main protagonists are Maz and Cori and both of their POVs are first person. But we also get two timelines for each of them, and the book alternates between these quite frequently. We have present day, which is 1993, when Maz and Cori have drifted apart as friends following the disappearance of their third best friend–Sam. And then we have a timeline set back in 1987, describing events when they were twelve years old, immediately preceding Sam’s disappearance. Both the past and present day timelines are written in past tense, and I think it might have helped a little for the 1993 timeline to have been written in present tense - so readers could distinguish between them more easily. Because the two timelines are so similar and there’s two first person povs and there are a lot of pop culture references that went over my head (I’m not “young”--I was born in 1988), I was a smidge confused and overwhelmed at the beginning. I eventually figured things out and managed to follow the plotline, which fortunately wasn’t too convoluted.
The book is spooky, with an original story idea. I would say it’s targeted for younger YA readers, based on the level of scariness. That said, I’m not sure how much they would appreciate all the pop culture references, when this thirty-year-old only got about half of them. It kind of made me think of that TikTok video of people asking Gen Zs to name a single song by the band on the retro T-shirt they were currently wearing. I think one out of ten of them was able to name a song–and it was Metallica’s Enter the Sandman, so it’s kind of a given.
All this said, the 90s are really popular right now in fiction and television, so this book should do well with the nostalgia trend.
After I got past my confusion in the beginning, I found this to be an entertaining, humorous, creepy book that’s an ideal read for spooky season.
This review appeared first on https://powerlibrarian.wordpress.com/
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My 2022 Reading Challenge
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2022: This book fulfills the "A book set in the 80s" category.
While the novel is targetted for young adults, the book is chock full of references to pop culture in the 80s and 90s, which an older audience can appreciate.
The book is told in multiple timelines, which made me a tad confused in the beginning of the book. The book primarily follows two points of view. The two main protagonists are Maz and Cori and both of their POVs are first person. But we also get two timelines for each of them, and the book alternates between these quite frequently. We have present day, which is 1993, when Maz and Cori have drifted apart as friends following the disappearance of their third best friend–Sam. And then we have a timeline set back in 1987, describing events when they were twelve years old, immediately preceding Sam’s disappearance. Both the past and present day timelines are written in past tense, and I think it might have helped a little for the 1993 timeline to have been written in present tense - so readers could distinguish between them more easily. Because the two timelines are so similar and there’s two first person povs and there are a lot of pop culture references that went over my head (I’m not “young”--I was born in 1988), I was a smidge confused and overwhelmed at the beginning. I eventually figured things out and managed to follow the plotline, which fortunately wasn’t too convoluted.
The book is spooky, with an original story idea. I would say it’s targeted for younger YA readers, based on the level of scariness. That said, I’m not sure how much they would appreciate all the pop culture references, when this thirty-year-old only got about half of them. It kind of made me think of that TikTok video of people asking Gen Zs to name a single song by the band on the retro T-shirt they were currently wearing. I think one out of ten of them was able to name a song–and it was Metallica’s Enter the Sandman, so it’s kind of a given.
All this said, the 90s are really popular right now in fiction and television, so this book should do well with the nostalgia trend.
After I got past my confusion in the beginning, I found this to be an entertaining, humorous, creepy book that’s an ideal read for spooky season.
*Thank you to ALA Annual Conference, the author, and the publisher for the ebook to review*
This review appeared first on https://powerlibrarian.wordpress.com/
Book Blog | Instagram | TikTok | Website | Twitter
My 2022 Reading Challenge
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2022: This book fulfills the "A book set in the 80s" category.
June 17, 2022
“He’s trying to show who is boss, like he’s Tony Danza or something,”
Stranger Things meets Scanners in this unforgettable journey through the power of pinball.
Like the rest of the world, I'm a bit obsessed with Stranger Things. Every single season just blew my mind and the newest season has my entire heart. I mean, have you seen Eddie!? *swoon* So seeing the cover really made me want to read this and I'm glad I did. It was the bizarre blast from the past that I really needed.
Here we go from past to present, before and after Sam disappears without a trace. Three best friends discover this bitchin' pinball game at one of their favorite hangouts. Growing up they were inseparable, but things quickly change once Sam disappears. Years and years later, Cori and Maz go from besties to whatevers. Then something happens that brings these two back together. Sam returns... but as a twelve-year-old. Looks exactly how he disappeared. He didn't grow older like the rest of them but stayed the same age. Dark secrets lurk behind Sam about his reappearance and where he's been for the past couple of years. What we know for sure is that the pinball game shines bright like a beacon.
This story was an interesting blast from the past. It's one that needs to be accompanied by a playlist. It really made me reminisce about my younger days. That paired with an eerie mystery made this one a lot of fun in a demented kind of way. I was glued to every page and I finished this in just a few short hours, that's how deep this thing sunk its claws into me. I really enjoyed it.
Dead Flip was a great read. It was entertaining and every page kept me hooked. The characters were all fantastic and flowed together really well. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.
Stranger Things meets Scanners in this unforgettable journey through the power of pinball.
Like the rest of the world, I'm a bit obsessed with Stranger Things. Every single season just blew my mind and the newest season has my entire heart. I mean, have you seen Eddie!? *swoon* So seeing the cover really made me want to read this and I'm glad I did. It was the bizarre blast from the past that I really needed.
Here we go from past to present, before and after Sam disappears without a trace. Three best friends discover this bitchin' pinball game at one of their favorite hangouts. Growing up they were inseparable, but things quickly change once Sam disappears. Years and years later, Cori and Maz go from besties to whatevers. Then something happens that brings these two back together. Sam returns... but as a twelve-year-old. Looks exactly how he disappeared. He didn't grow older like the rest of them but stayed the same age. Dark secrets lurk behind Sam about his reappearance and where he's been for the past couple of years. What we know for sure is that the pinball game shines bright like a beacon.
This story was an interesting blast from the past. It's one that needs to be accompanied by a playlist. It really made me reminisce about my younger days. That paired with an eerie mystery made this one a lot of fun in a demented kind of way. I was glued to every page and I finished this in just a few short hours, that's how deep this thing sunk its claws into me. I really enjoyed it.
Dead Flip was a great read. It was entertaining and every page kept me hooked. The characters were all fantastic and flowed together really well. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.
October 5, 2022
This young adult horror story is a little bit Goonies and a little bit Stranger things with a lot of 90’s nostalgia thrown in for fun. The story is told in two timelines mostly from two different character’s perspectives. When they were 12 Cori, Maz, and Sam were best friends. One night Sam disappears and is never found. Cori is sure he’s dead and wants to move on. Maz believes something really strange happened and believes it has to do with the creepy pinball machine Sam had been playing that left him with nightmares. They are no longer friends after being unable to reconcile their beliefs. Five years later Maz bumps into Sam but he is exactly the same stuck at age 12 and Maz and Cori aren’t sure what happened or what will happen now that Sam is back.
August 21, 2022
This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
I had fun with this book! I’ve seen this book described as Stranger Things meets Jumanji and I think that totally fits (although I have to admit that I have only watched a few episodes of Stranger Things). This book is set in the late ’80s and early ’90s which just happens to coincide with my teen years so I really enjoyed the nostalgia of the book. There was just enough strangeness to the story to keep me glued to the pages.
Cori, Maz, and Sam were best friends in middle school. As they are getting older, Cori is feeling some pressure to start spending time with other girls and Sam’s immaturity can sometimes be embarrassing to the other two. When they go trick or treating one last time, Sam storms away mad and is not seen again. Fast forward five years and Cori and Maz are no longer friends but everything changes when Sam returns. Sam’s back but he is still a 12-year-old boy and his friends are 17. They need to figure out what really happened to Sam and come up with a plan regarding what they should do now that he is back.
I loved the sense of unknown in this book. The things happening with Sam were strange and I couldn’t wait to find out what was really happening. This was also a great story about growing up. Maz and Cori changed a lot after their friend disappeared. The people in their lives have expected them to behave in certain ways and they have both done their best to live up to those expectations. I really liked seeing them reconnect with each other.
I would recommend this book to others. I found this book to be incredibly entertaining and ended up reading it in a single day simply because I didn’t want to put it down. I may have sworn off pinball because of this book but I wouldn’t hesitate to read more of this author’s work in the future.
I received a review copy of this book from Algonquin Young Readers.
I had fun with this book! I’ve seen this book described as Stranger Things meets Jumanji and I think that totally fits (although I have to admit that I have only watched a few episodes of Stranger Things). This book is set in the late ’80s and early ’90s which just happens to coincide with my teen years so I really enjoyed the nostalgia of the book. There was just enough strangeness to the story to keep me glued to the pages.
Cori, Maz, and Sam were best friends in middle school. As they are getting older, Cori is feeling some pressure to start spending time with other girls and Sam’s immaturity can sometimes be embarrassing to the other two. When they go trick or treating one last time, Sam storms away mad and is not seen again. Fast forward five years and Cori and Maz are no longer friends but everything changes when Sam returns. Sam’s back but he is still a 12-year-old boy and his friends are 17. They need to figure out what really happened to Sam and come up with a plan regarding what they should do now that he is back.
I loved the sense of unknown in this book. The things happening with Sam were strange and I couldn’t wait to find out what was really happening. This was also a great story about growing up. Maz and Cori changed a lot after their friend disappeared. The people in their lives have expected them to behave in certain ways and they have both done their best to live up to those expectations. I really liked seeing them reconnect with each other.
I would recommend this book to others. I found this book to be incredibly entertaining and ended up reading it in a single day simply because I didn’t want to put it down. I may have sworn off pinball because of this book but I wouldn’t hesitate to read more of this author’s work in the future.
I received a review copy of this book from Algonquin Young Readers.
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September 4, 2022
I'm usually against comparing books to other books or to movies and TV shows, but Dead Flip does deliver on the Stranger Things vibes! I would also say there's a tiny sprinkle of Ready Player One in here, but in a really fun and spooky way.
This book was honestly such a blast to read! The writing was engaging and I very much enjoyed both Maz and Cori's perspectives. I think Farizan did a wonderful job with tackling different perspectives in a split narrative in a way that kept all moving parts going forward and wasn't at all clunky or confusing to follow. There were also quite a few pop culture references along the way that put a big smile on my face.
Maz and Cori as main characters were great to read about. Sam was also the perfect addition to the trio and I found it so interesting to see how they changed as people and the ways in which their friendship transformed in the context of the story. The side characters were also pretty cool, but I wish we knew a little more about each of them.
The pace held steady throughout the book as well and the plot development was pretty well done. There weren't that many horror elements, though? The story focused more on friendship and loss and growing up--which were all points that were addressed and deal with in some great ways--so if you're picking this up expecting something super creepy, you won't get that.
The ending was also a little rushed, personally, since I expected more of a twist and more action when it came to the resolution involving the game and instead got something rather predictable. I still did have such a fantastic time reading this book and I really really loved the final chapter.
And yay for the queer rep! :D
This book was honestly such a blast to read! The writing was engaging and I very much enjoyed both Maz and Cori's perspectives. I think Farizan did a wonderful job with tackling different perspectives in a split narrative in a way that kept all moving parts going forward and wasn't at all clunky or confusing to follow. There were also quite a few pop culture references along the way that put a big smile on my face.
Maz and Cori as main characters were great to read about. Sam was also the perfect addition to the trio and I found it so interesting to see how they changed as people and the ways in which their friendship transformed in the context of the story. The side characters were also pretty cool, but I wish we knew a little more about each of them.
The pace held steady throughout the book as well and the plot development was pretty well done. There weren't that many horror elements, though? The story focused more on friendship and loss and growing up--which were all points that were addressed and deal with in some great ways--so if you're picking this up expecting something super creepy, you won't get that.
The ending was also a little rushed, personally, since I expected more of a twist and more action when it came to the resolution involving the game and instead got something rather predictable. I still did have such a fantastic time reading this book and I really really loved the final chapter.
And yay for the queer rep! :D
March 13, 2026
fun but not a lot to it
April 2, 2022
If you are nostalgic like me and an 80s kid, this is the book for you. Definitely kept me on the edge of the seat, making me NEVER want to play with a pinball machine ever again. Two best friends, separated by the “death” of the third in the group are pulled back together when Sam, their missing best friend, shows up, looking the same, 12 years old and snarky as ever. Told from the POV view of Maz & Cori, with some of Sam thrown in, flashing back and forth to the time Sam was kidnapped to the day he shows up. As Maz and Cori try to figure out how to keep Sam with them, while dealing with the secrets they are keeping from each other, the race is on to beat the “game”. I will say the ending left me HANGING for a sequel. Definitely a mashup of Stranger things and the show Manifest & all things 80s.
June 13, 2023
I loved this book. It was fun to read and well-written to boot. Plus: nostalgia.
December 31, 2022
Didn’t exactly deliver the “edge-of-your-seat terror” that the description promised. But it was still enjoyable enough. I liked the 80s & 90s period setting for the book, it added a lot of overall ambiance for the story. And the plot of a kid disappearing when he was 12 years old then suddenly reappearing 5 years later, yet still as a 12 year old is pretty compelling. Having his old best friends have to team up and figure out what’s going on with the fantastical plot while also rekindling their friendship was interesting.
However, this just felt very rushed and it seemed like there was barely any horror in it. For something being promoted as a horror book, I was kinda let down. It seemed more like a fantastical adventure story than horror.
However, this just felt very rushed and it seemed like there was barely any horror in it. For something being promoted as a horror book, I was kinda let down. It seemed more like a fantastical adventure story than horror.
November 24, 2022
This was really stupid 😅
August 20, 2022
Well, that was just about the sweetest horror story I've ever read, and that's a total compliment. This slim book might have some classic scary scenes, but really has more to say about the friendships we have when we're young and if they can - or should - carry on as we get older. Set mostly in 1987 and 1992, yes, it definitely has Stranger Things vibes, but distinguishes itself by focusing on characters outside the mainstream, and how that impacts their lives and relationships.
DEAD FLIP follows a trio of twelve year old best friends: Cori, Maz (Maziyar) and Sam. They love nothing more than going to the corner store for candy, comics and games, but life is starting to pull them apart. Cori is horror movie-obsessed and loves spending time with Maz and Sam, but increasingly finds herself being pushed toward "girl stuff." Maz is Iranian-American and his upwardly-mobile family is about to move out of the neighborhood he shares with Cori and Sam. And Sam, as the son of a struggling single father, is desperate to hang on to them both. One Halloween they all get into a fight, and Sam disappears. He returns five years later...still twelve (and kinda creepy). Maz and Cori have to figure out what to do, which is complicated by the fact that they haven't really talked in the past five years.
The book is written in alternating chapters, mostly Maz and Cori, but some of Sam. It's also split between 1992 perspectives which are "now," and 1987 perspectives, which read sort of from a present tense, but are actually 1992 characters reflecting on their past selves. I'll admit it was a little hard to get the hang of this at first, as Farizan is setting up the relationships and background. But the story totally kicks into gear about halfway through when twelve year old Sam shows back up. From then on the character dynamics and uncovering just what is going on give the story real momentum.
Did I say how sweet this is, for a horror story? Seventeen year old Cori and Maz both have challenges - Cori's closeted and trying to figure out how to pursue a crush while maintaining her "popular girl" status, and track star/perpetual outsider Maz might drink a little too much at parties - but this is all handled in very early teen reader-appropriate ways. For an adult reader, there's plenty to reflect on about precisely what we owe to our friends, and to ourselves.
A note about the time period nostalgia: this book packs more references in than all four seasons of Stranger Things! Even I couldn't catch them all, and I'm fairly close to that era. For young people, all the names and phrases will just sound wacky. And hopefully send them down some funny YouTube or TikTok searches. Or offer a fun opportunity for adults and teens to read and discuss together. I hope to have just that experience with my nephew who I will gift this to!
Original review
Got this for my nephew, but totally going to read it first...
DEAD FLIP follows a trio of twelve year old best friends: Cori, Maz (Maziyar) and Sam. They love nothing more than going to the corner store for candy, comics and games, but life is starting to pull them apart. Cori is horror movie-obsessed and loves spending time with Maz and Sam, but increasingly finds herself being pushed toward "girl stuff." Maz is Iranian-American and his upwardly-mobile family is about to move out of the neighborhood he shares with Cori and Sam. And Sam, as the son of a struggling single father, is desperate to hang on to them both. One Halloween they all get into a fight, and Sam disappears. He returns five years later...still twelve (and kinda creepy). Maz and Cori have to figure out what to do, which is complicated by the fact that they haven't really talked in the past five years.
The book is written in alternating chapters, mostly Maz and Cori, but some of Sam. It's also split between 1992 perspectives which are "now," and 1987 perspectives, which read sort of from a present tense, but are actually 1992 characters reflecting on their past selves. I'll admit it was a little hard to get the hang of this at first, as Farizan is setting up the relationships and background. But the story totally kicks into gear about halfway through when twelve year old Sam shows back up. From then on the character dynamics and uncovering just what is going on give the story real momentum.
Did I say how sweet this is, for a horror story? Seventeen year old Cori and Maz both have challenges - Cori's closeted and trying to figure out how to pursue a crush while maintaining her "popular girl" status, and track star/perpetual outsider Maz might drink a little too much at parties - but this is all handled in very early teen reader-appropriate ways. For an adult reader, there's plenty to reflect on about precisely what we owe to our friends, and to ourselves.
A note about the time period nostalgia: this book packs more references in than all four seasons of Stranger Things! Even I couldn't catch them all, and I'm fairly close to that era. For young people, all the names and phrases will just sound wacky. And hopefully send them down some funny YouTube or TikTok searches. Or offer a fun opportunity for adults and teens to read and discuss together. I hope to have just that experience with my nephew who I will gift this to!
Original review
Got this for my nephew, but totally going to read it first...
September 5, 2022
3.5
It was great! Perfect 80s/90s vibes, good tone and likable characters. I was expecting a little more action as it’s a fairly short book, I think just over 250 pages, and definitely had room for more.
It was great! Perfect 80s/90s vibes, good tone and likable characters. I was expecting a little more action as it’s a fairly short book, I think just over 250 pages, and definitely had room for more.
July 10, 2022
3.5, rounded up. As I’m trying to draw out my viewing of Stranger Things season 4, this was a good distraction. Cori, Maz, and Sam were inseparable until Sam disappeared without a trace 5 years ago. Since then, Maz and Cori have gone their separate ways. When Sam suddenly reappears, they’re drawn back together to figure out how to help their friend, who has changed in some scary ways yet somehow remains physically the same as the day he vanished. Does all of it make sense? Nope, but it was still worth my time. I liked the characters and the premise, and it was a quick, enjoyable read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ebook ARC.
Read
July 11, 2022Read almost all of this in one sitting. There were a few places where it needed some edits, but it was an arc, and overall it was so gripping and readable that I'll let it slide. Stranger Things x Manifest.
June 14, 2022
Stranger Things meets Stephen King with a dash of paranormal Stand by Me. Mostly though it's a story of friendships and the lengths one will go through to help a friend.
October 23, 2022
In an effort to squeeze in a spooky read or two this October, I decided to check out Dead Flip. Amazingly, before Bookstagram, I had never heard of this one. But after skimming others reviews, I was intrigued by the Stranger Things vibes and the overall nostalgia factor. I am, if not anything else, a sucker for nostalgia. 😉
Dead Flip takes place in alternating timelines, the 1980s and 1990s, respectively. In the 80’s we meet best friends Cori, Maz, and Sam. The three kids had a typical childhood. They loved fooling around, content in not doing much, as long as they were together. One thing they did enjoy though was frequenting a local shop and playing all the arcade games.
Then one day Sam mysteriously disappears. Although he’s never found, time moves on. Unfortunately so do Cori and Maz, at least from each other. With differing theories on what happened to Sam, as well as growing apart as people, Cori and Maz each try to forget what happened to their friend.
Suddenly Sam resurfaces, sort of. Before long the trio finds themselves thrust back into a mystery full of memories, games, and angst. Can these old friends solve the riddle, or are they one turn away from game over?
Dead Flip was a fun, nostalgic romp that included some memories from my childhood (including Melody Pops, Crystal Light, and “very special” sitcom episodes) that I hadn’t revisited in awhile. Throwback vibes aside, the story itself was lacking something that kept it from being truly memorable. It’s worth a read to get into the spooky vibe, but its lack of tricks, kept it from being a true treat.
Dead Flip takes place in alternating timelines, the 1980s and 1990s, respectively. In the 80’s we meet best friends Cori, Maz, and Sam. The three kids had a typical childhood. They loved fooling around, content in not doing much, as long as they were together. One thing they did enjoy though was frequenting a local shop and playing all the arcade games.
Then one day Sam mysteriously disappears. Although he’s never found, time moves on. Unfortunately so do Cori and Maz, at least from each other. With differing theories on what happened to Sam, as well as growing apart as people, Cori and Maz each try to forget what happened to their friend.
Suddenly Sam resurfaces, sort of. Before long the trio finds themselves thrust back into a mystery full of memories, games, and angst. Can these old friends solve the riddle, or are they one turn away from game over?
Dead Flip was a fun, nostalgic romp that included some memories from my childhood (including Melody Pops, Crystal Light, and “very special” sitcom episodes) that I hadn’t revisited in awhile. Throwback vibes aside, the story itself was lacking something that kept it from being truly memorable. It’s worth a read to get into the spooky vibe, but its lack of tricks, kept it from being a true treat.
January 31, 2023
After Stranger Things became a phenomenon retro horror movies, TV shows and books like this one became quite a frequent sight to behold. Generation X and millennials both appreciate the 80s/90s nostalgia, so these kinds of things have a wide target group, including me. I like horror and I am in the perfect age group.😄
The thing I am not is American. While I have watched loads of 80s and 90s movies and read books in general I am still from a country which had little to none direct American influence. Thus the amount of different nostalgic brand names alienated me a bit. I didn’t know most of them and in my opinion they were slathered on way too thick. Obviously this is a book meant most of all to USA’s reader but there are other English readers out there in the big world……🧐
The story piqued my interest from the start, I really wanted to know what happened to Sam. And I’m disappointed to say but I’m not actually sure what happened in the end. The further the story developed the messier and confusing it became and nothing was ever really explained to detail. Dark magic, demons, aliens? 🤪
The characters were selfish and the supposed feelings and sadness were told but not shown. The stakes were meant to be high but the characters really did not act accordingly. The horror part wasn’t scary at all and didn’t deliver, overall the book fell flat. I am disappointed because it had an interesting idea and I wanted it to be something better.🥺
The thing I am not is American. While I have watched loads of 80s and 90s movies and read books in general I am still from a country which had little to none direct American influence. Thus the amount of different nostalgic brand names alienated me a bit. I didn’t know most of them and in my opinion they were slathered on way too thick. Obviously this is a book meant most of all to USA’s reader but there are other English readers out there in the big world……🧐
The story piqued my interest from the start, I really wanted to know what happened to Sam. And I’m disappointed to say but I’m not actually sure what happened in the end. The further the story developed the messier and confusing it became and nothing was ever really explained to detail. Dark magic, demons, aliens? 🤪
The characters were selfish and the supposed feelings and sadness were told but not shown. The stakes were meant to be high but the characters really did not act accordingly. The horror part wasn’t scary at all and didn’t deliver, overall the book fell flat. I am disappointed because it had an interesting idea and I wanted it to be something better.🥺
May 23, 2022
This was definitely good but like…. It could’ve been better. It could’ve been way better.
I’m hoping that bc I read an ARC this stuff will be ironed out by the final publishing. The timing was all weird, with flashbacks that didn’t make sense in the flow of the story. The story didn’t make much sense and there wasn’t really much resolution, and the spooky parts could’ve been way spookier. I expected an 80s horror, and instead it felt like a comedy with a few spooky parts.
Overall it was fun to read and I enjoyed the setting a lot! I think it’s a great concept, it just needs a lot of fine tuning that I’m hoping it’ll receive before the full publishing.
I’m hoping that bc I read an ARC this stuff will be ironed out by the final publishing. The timing was all weird, with flashbacks that didn’t make sense in the flow of the story. The story didn’t make much sense and there wasn’t really much resolution, and the spooky parts could’ve been way spookier. I expected an 80s horror, and instead it felt like a comedy with a few spooky parts.
Overall it was fun to read and I enjoyed the setting a lot! I think it’s a great concept, it just needs a lot of fine tuning that I’m hoping it’ll receive before the full publishing.
September 6, 2022
*3.5
this was super fun but a little underdeveloped
this was super fun but a little underdeveloped
October 10, 2022
FINALLY finished with this ,,, it wouldnt have even been that terrible if it wasnt so blatantly obvious that its a stranger things copy - it was infuriating
September 11, 2022
I requested DEAD FLIP because the cover is awesome and it gives me very Stranger Things vibes, which I’m sure is totally intentional. Plus, it’s (WHY???) historical fiction set in the 80s and early 90s so there’s a definite nostalgia factor going for me here. All of these things I appreciate.
What I didn’t appreciate was the absolute lack of formatting in the eARC I got. There’s no reason for that. I can handle no chapter breaks, but there was no or erratic paragraph, dialogue, and other formatting issues that made the book really hard to read. I’m pretty sure there was supposed to be a fair amount of italics in here too that wasn’t here. Not the author’s fault, of course. It’s the publisher’s, and it has an impact on how the story is consumed. I feel like right out of the gate the book’s in the negative because my copy was hard to read. Thankfully, I was able to get through it, but it took way more effort than it should have because of the zero formatting.
There’s nothing necessarily wrong with DEAD FLIP, but I don’t think it quite delivered either. The story’s pacing was a bit wonky and there’s no real tension in the story. For a horror novel, I wasn’t scared at all, nor could I really see where there should be any real creepy moments (because I don’t scare easily). The moments that were supposed to be scary fell flat because there’s no real surrounding tension, or lingering tension, to make them truly scary. DEAD FLIP, I think, is supposed to be a horror comedy, but it’s really just a teen drama with some tense moments in it.
This book is also indicative of YA novels now not actually being for the teen readers they’re supposed to be for. The incessant name dropping of nostalgic things, like Sam Goody and whatever other brands popped up, are not meant for teens. They would have no idea what any of these are. This is meant for adult readers who know what the author is talking about. I don’t have an issue with this kind of nostalgia in books. It just becomes glaringly apparent that this book isn’t really meant for the market it’s supposed to be targeted to. I think it works differently for books than it does for a TV show like Stranger Things because the nostalgia in something visual can just hang out in the background while the story unfolds. In writing, it has to be described so it’s actually in scene, taking up space within the narrative and forcing it to the forefront. I think there are ways to balance it (see: OUR CROOKED HEARTS) so that you get it dribbled throughout it being overwhelming, but in DEAD FLIP it’s overwhelming.
I liked Maz and Cori, but I didn’t like Sam as a character. I get why he acts the way he does, but I find his personality grating and I honestly was a-okay with him disappearing for a chunk of the book. There’s a chapter or two from his POV that I’m not sure were actually needed. Especially with the formatting issues, him talking to the voice in his head was hard to parse out who was supposed to be talking and when and it really just muddied the waters. A person like Sam is not someone I have the patience for in real life, so he was really off-putting reading it.
The ending was rather lackluster. Like the rest of the supposedly tense moments, there was just not a whole lot going on in the end and everything resolved rather quickly and neatly. I can see where the cheesy 80s horror should be coming in, and I appreciated that. But the story itself went out with a whimper.
Like I said, it’s not necessarily a bad story. There’s just not a whole lot going for it that’s all that engaging. I didn’t dislike it, but I didn’t so much like it either.
3
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
What I didn’t appreciate was the absolute lack of formatting in the eARC I got. There’s no reason for that. I can handle no chapter breaks, but there was no or erratic paragraph, dialogue, and other formatting issues that made the book really hard to read. I’m pretty sure there was supposed to be a fair amount of italics in here too that wasn’t here. Not the author’s fault, of course. It’s the publisher’s, and it has an impact on how the story is consumed. I feel like right out of the gate the book’s in the negative because my copy was hard to read. Thankfully, I was able to get through it, but it took way more effort than it should have because of the zero formatting.
There’s nothing necessarily wrong with DEAD FLIP, but I don’t think it quite delivered either. The story’s pacing was a bit wonky and there’s no real tension in the story. For a horror novel, I wasn’t scared at all, nor could I really see where there should be any real creepy moments (because I don’t scare easily). The moments that were supposed to be scary fell flat because there’s no real surrounding tension, or lingering tension, to make them truly scary. DEAD FLIP, I think, is supposed to be a horror comedy, but it’s really just a teen drama with some tense moments in it.
This book is also indicative of YA novels now not actually being for the teen readers they’re supposed to be for. The incessant name dropping of nostalgic things, like Sam Goody and whatever other brands popped up, are not meant for teens. They would have no idea what any of these are. This is meant for adult readers who know what the author is talking about. I don’t have an issue with this kind of nostalgia in books. It just becomes glaringly apparent that this book isn’t really meant for the market it’s supposed to be targeted to. I think it works differently for books than it does for a TV show like Stranger Things because the nostalgia in something visual can just hang out in the background while the story unfolds. In writing, it has to be described so it’s actually in scene, taking up space within the narrative and forcing it to the forefront. I think there are ways to balance it (see: OUR CROOKED HEARTS) so that you get it dribbled throughout it being overwhelming, but in DEAD FLIP it’s overwhelming.
I liked Maz and Cori, but I didn’t like Sam as a character. I get why he acts the way he does, but I find his personality grating and I honestly was a-okay with him disappearing for a chunk of the book. There’s a chapter or two from his POV that I’m not sure were actually needed. Especially with the formatting issues, him talking to the voice in his head was hard to parse out who was supposed to be talking and when and it really just muddied the waters. A person like Sam is not someone I have the patience for in real life, so he was really off-putting reading it.
The ending was rather lackluster. Like the rest of the supposedly tense moments, there was just not a whole lot going on in the end and everything resolved rather quickly and neatly. I can see where the cheesy 80s horror should be coming in, and I appreciated that. But the story itself went out with a whimper.
Like I said, it’s not necessarily a bad story. There’s just not a whole lot going for it that’s all that engaging. I didn’t dislike it, but I didn’t so much like it either.
3
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 29, 2022
I wanted to like this book more than I did, but one it was too short to really delve into what it was exploring. For instance has sapphic characters, but doesn't do much with them beyond hinting that it is hard to be gay in the 90s. I believe it is/was but its not shown why it is an issue, it is all hinted/implied, which makes it hard to sympathize with the difficulties of the characters. If we are only shown they are being accepted then why would I feel anything but positive emotion towards their situation.
However, my annoyance came at the about 70% mark when a male character covers a recently traumatized and attacked female character with his jacket when they are walking in a light rain and the lesbian character, who has only been very reasonable the whole book, thinks to herself that the male character (who is supposed to be a long time friend of hers) is only covering the other girl because she is straight and he wants to get with her whereas she is a lesbian. Mind you it has not been explicitly said to the male character that she is a lesbian at best it is hinted without being directly addressed. This whole scene was probably meant as a throw away but you mean to tell me that the male MC literally has underlying homophobic microaggressions (out of no where) more so than him just being a nice person to the recently and by recently I mean like the scene prior attacked girl? I read it as he was being chivalrous or at least sympathetic to the attacked girl, but our female MC took it as a sleight.
Anyways that seen really took me out of the book and on top of it being a rushed read I just couldn't enjoy it overall. The concept is fun but not fully explored due to the short length of the novel and 3 povs is a lot to juggle when a novel is as short as this. Couple that with the characters being diverse for what feels at times just for the sake of it (especially the queer plot line) I just feel this book had a lot to offer without being given a full chance to shine.
I do feel like I rounded up for this one simply due to it having good concepts. The idea of the horror pinball machine with a conflicted middle school age child being caught up in line between childhood and young adulthood being the primary driver of the conflict is interesting, but its muddled instead of being allowed to shine.
I dunno if I will ever return to this one, but I got a signed copy so that is pretty cool.
However, my annoyance came at the about 70% mark when a male character covers a recently traumatized and attacked female character with his jacket when they are walking in a light rain and the lesbian character, who has only been very reasonable the whole book, thinks to herself that the male character (who is supposed to be a long time friend of hers) is only covering the other girl because she is straight and he wants to get with her whereas she is a lesbian. Mind you it has not been explicitly said to the male character that she is a lesbian at best it is hinted without being directly addressed. This whole scene was probably meant as a throw away but you mean to tell me that the male MC literally has underlying homophobic microaggressions (out of no where) more so than him just being a nice person to the recently and by recently I mean like the scene prior attacked girl? I read it as he was being chivalrous or at least sympathetic to the attacked girl, but our female MC took it as a sleight.
Anyways that seen really took me out of the book and on top of it being a rushed read I just couldn't enjoy it overall. The concept is fun but not fully explored due to the short length of the novel and 3 povs is a lot to juggle when a novel is as short as this. Couple that with the characters being diverse for what feels at times just for the sake of it (especially the queer plot line) I just feel this book had a lot to offer without being given a full chance to shine.
I do feel like I rounded up for this one simply due to it having good concepts. The idea of the horror pinball machine with a conflicted middle school age child being caught up in line between childhood and young adulthood being the primary driver of the conflict is interesting, but its muddled instead of being allowed to shine.
I dunno if I will ever return to this one, but I got a signed copy so that is pretty cool.
September 9, 2022
So many have said this book has major 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 vibes! I'll just take their word since I’ve never seen that show.
Maz, Cori, and Sam were the best of friends in 1987. They loved hanging out at the arcade, eating candy and reading comics. But it all changed on the night of Halloween when Sam went missing.
Nearly five years later, in 1992, Maz runs into Cori; they haven’t spoken to each other since Sam’s disappearance. They both have differing opinions about what happened to Sam that night: Cori believes Sam is dead, while Maz feels a supernatural pinball machine has taken Sam!
Things get really creepy when Sam shows up in 1992, but he is still only 12. It seems like this is something to celebrate, but now the trio’s secrets start to pour out as they realize something about Sam is not the same.
I’m usually not a “horror” fan, but Sara Farizan did a great job of making this more of a coming-of-age story with paranormal events. All three kids had struggles: ethnicity, sexuality, loneliness and more; dealing with the evil made them stronger as friends and individuals.
With fantastic pop-culture references, toggling timelines, and good friends, 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐅𝐥𝐢𝐩 is an entertaining but chilling read - perfect for the spooky season!
Thank you @algonquinyr for this gifted copy.
Maz, Cori, and Sam were the best of friends in 1987. They loved hanging out at the arcade, eating candy and reading comics. But it all changed on the night of Halloween when Sam went missing.
Nearly five years later, in 1992, Maz runs into Cori; they haven’t spoken to each other since Sam’s disappearance. They both have differing opinions about what happened to Sam that night: Cori believes Sam is dead, while Maz feels a supernatural pinball machine has taken Sam!
Things get really creepy when Sam shows up in 1992, but he is still only 12. It seems like this is something to celebrate, but now the trio’s secrets start to pour out as they realize something about Sam is not the same.
I’m usually not a “horror” fan, but Sara Farizan did a great job of making this more of a coming-of-age story with paranormal events. All three kids had struggles: ethnicity, sexuality, loneliness and more; dealing with the evil made them stronger as friends and individuals.
With fantastic pop-culture references, toggling timelines, and good friends, 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐅𝐥𝐢𝐩 is an entertaining but chilling read - perfect for the spooky season!
Thank you @algonquinyr for this gifted copy.
October 2, 2022
2.5 ★
Dead Flip comenzó interesante, pero luego el ritmo de la trama va decayendo. Quizás es porque tenía otras expectativas, pensé que sería algo como o parecido a Stranger Things.
Esta historia carece bastante de acción y sucesos de terror porque solo sucede una vez, me dio calosfríos en una sola oportunidad, y yo soy muy miedosa, por eso evito el género de error.
Siento que el libro tenía bastante potencial con esa sinopsis u el inicio, ha que el lector quiera saber qué sucedió con los personajes, sin embargo, la autora no supo desarrollar el principal problemas ni el hecho más importante de la historia.
De igual manera, quizás lea otro libro de la autora y en caso quieran leer este, solo les digo que no es Stranger Things, no es un libro con mucha acción. No lo lean con expectativas altas.
Dead Flip comenzó interesante, pero luego el ritmo de la trama va decayendo. Quizás es porque tenía otras expectativas, pensé que sería algo como o parecido a Stranger Things.
Esta historia carece bastante de acción y sucesos de terror porque solo sucede una vez, me dio calosfríos en una sola oportunidad, y yo soy muy miedosa, por eso evito el género de error.
Siento que el libro tenía bastante potencial con esa sinopsis u el inicio, ha que el lector quiera saber qué sucedió con los personajes, sin embargo, la autora no supo desarrollar el principal problemas ni el hecho más importante de la historia.
De igual manera, quizás lea otro libro de la autora y en caso quieran leer este, solo les digo que no es Stranger Things, no es un libro con mucha acción. No lo lean con expectativas altas.
Want to Read
August 21, 2022i’m have an ARC
January 26, 2023
Cute spooky YA with a lesbian in it :-)
December 13, 2024
Lowkey I would eat up a sequel because I need to know if they get sam out and I need to see the ten year highschool reunion where Cori goes with Janet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2025
2.5 was basically stranger things in book form
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